Last Redemption
by Tyrunner
Summary: Sequel to Forbidden Romance. Sometimes the only way to defeat evil is with evil itself. Complete.
1. The Final Day Of Normal Life

**Chapter 1**

How the years had changed! 3 years and 2 Jellicle Balls have passed, and much had happened since Bombalurina left the tribe for Macavity (See "Forbidden Romance").

Well, not a whole lot, but there has been changes. Many of the tribe members paired off into courting couples and mates. Victoria and Mistoffelees were mates, which everyone assumed would happen, but were surprised it happened so soon (Just 2 months after), and they already had twin queens as kittens, Harline and Carline. Alonzo and Cassandra had been in on-and-off relationships, but seemed to be on the right track. The Rum Tum Tugger was still a swinging bachelor and was still attracting many of the young, upcoming queens.

Two Balls had passed, and Gus the Theater Cat and Old Deuteronomy himself were both gone to the Heaviside Layer. This left Munkustrap fully in charge, with Alonzo as his second-in-command. The black and white tom was a bit more responsible, but showed that he was still quite a kitten at heart. Demeter had not fully recovered from her sister's departure, but was usually distracted by the wonderful love her mate, Munku, and the constant call for attention from her daughter, Catalina.

Everyone was in a happy attitude, with the Jellicle Ball coming in only 2 days. Many of the tribe members that lived far away were starting to come into the junkyard, while others that lived close by were frequenting the area. There was so much to prepare, Jennyanydots and Jellylorum were busy cleaning up the kittens, and the younger cats that were going to be in the ball for the first time were practicing their dances. Mistoffelees was putting the finishing touches on his newest tricks, as well as practicing his dance with Victoria.

On the tyre, Munkustrap sat with Demeter and Alonzo, discussing about the Ball, and who was going to go up to the Heaviside. Based on his words, both Demi and Alonzo had all reason to believe the Jellicle leader would choose Jellylorum as the chosen one. With nothing else to say, Alonzo quietly slinked to his den, debating with himself on whether or not he should propose with Cassandra to be his mate. The pair was now on their 5th relationship, but had been on this one for 4 months. Things seemed about set for a life together. He hoped.

Nearby, the black and gray tom that had been observing the tribe for so many years was finally ready to unleash his fury. Soon enough, the entire tribe would be here for the Ball, ready to rejoice in their pride of being Jellicles. It sickened the tom to no extent. He knew that the entire tribe would be there the next day, making last-moment preparations, and that would be the perfect moment to strike. His fellow toms were also ready to go as well, putting last minute tinkering on their combat moves. Their leader had studied the fighting skills of the tribe's apparent best, and any one of them could easily dispatch him without breaking a sweat. Despite all of their skills, Munkustrap was going to be left to the master himself. He had conjured up new skills, that couldn't be matched by anyone in the tribe, and he was intending to make an example with the tribe. The coming of his messenger interrupted the tom's thoughts.

"My master, all the rest of the cats have completed their training. We are all ready, sir."

The black and gray tom nodded, "Very good. Tell them I will give their final briefing tonight. If all goes well, tomorrow will be the day of attack."

The all black messenger nodded and walked off. The leader of the new mob of toms looked back at the junkyard from his favorite perch, across the street, on the fire escape. It will finally happen, he thought to himself, my dream will finally come true.

Meanwhile, at Victoria Grove, there sat an old, abandoned shack, which wasn't used anymore by humans, but was being used by a family of cats. Inside, Bombalurina quietly slinked around, keeping and eye and an ear on her overly excitable kitten, Sophline. She was growing into a very beautiful queen, and Bombi knew that her daughter would be attracting toms left and right when she came of age.

A noise distracted her and she turned and smiled as she saw her mate come home from a day of scavenging for food. Macavity's image had changed a lot in the 3 years since he and Bombi were back together. His ginger fur was glistening brightly for the first time in many years, and his once wild, shaggy mane had been trimmed down and his whiskers were now evenly combed. He looked like a whole new tom, and a very attractive one in Bombi's opinion.

"How was the scavenging?" the red queen looked into her mate's sack, which was full of discarded tuna cans, entire packages of hot dogs, and a few cold cuts.

"Eh, it's getting kind of worse now. I have been stealing from a few grocery stores, and they are starting to put up security cameras," Mackey sighed and plopped down on the old sofa cushion, "I can't risk getting caught so I might have to resort to human homes."

"Human homes? Mackey, you know how hard it is to rob those! Can't you look for more stores?"

The ginger tom shook his head, "They're getting too clever, even for me. I have to do this or else it's either resort to garbage cans, or move. And I am not moving us around, especially now that we have Jendangen."

Bombi sighed and glanced over to the cushioned cardboard box, where their newest kitten, an orange tom, with specks of black here and there, and an entirely black tail, was. He had just been born 4 weeks before, bringing more joy to the family, but a little bit of strain for Macavity, because it meant another mouth to feed, and because a lot of ruckus was being made about him wandering around the markets and grocery stores, he couldn't walk around and grab food as easily as he used to. It meant slightly smaller meals, and a little bit of thinness to spread through the family. It worried Bombalurina, because her daughter had always been very slender and she was worried the smaller rations would starve her to death. She sometimes went the extra lengths herself to get just enough to sufficiently feed her.

"There is hope though," His voice broke through her thoughts and worries, "A human family has just moved in, and they look to be VERY wealthy, and that might mean a chance to stockpile before they realize what's happening!"

A smile finally went across her face as she sat next to him, "I hope you're right. I don't want to have to starve myself for the kittens."

"You won't," His words calmed her like a comforting blanket. She cuddled herself against him, resting her head on his shoulder. A paw gently pulled her chin up, so that her eyes met his. His own eyes were still sunken in, but not as much as it seemed to years before. They still were a tad bit scary, but they had gentleness to them. She couldn't help but raise her lips to his as they shared a nice gentle kiss. It was just about to melt into a slightly more passionate one when…

"EWWWW! That's gross!"

Bombi couldn't help but laugh as she turned and saw Sophline standing in the doorway. She had gone to do one of her favorite pastimes, which was wander to the nearby playground and play with the kids, but not let them take her away. It was fun for her, but it worried her parents to no extent.

"Are you ready for supper, dear? We have tuna or hot dogs, your choice."

The young kitten responded with "Hot Dogs!" before either one of them could blink an eye. Macavity nodded in agreement.

"You read my mind, hon. I guess some beef and pork would do us well, especially after 2 weeks of seafood, right?" He picked her up, and nuzzled her nose with his, which always caused her to laugh. Bombi just smiled with pride as they made their way to their dinner table, which was an old bureau drawer. Mackey had turned himself into a wonderful father, always able to make his little queen smile and laugh. Even though he was still a criminal, always stealing food, it was so that his family could eat happily. Food was the only thing he still stole. All the furniture was things he found in the garbage dumps, and nowhere else. He had turned into a caring tom, who only did what he did for the sake of his family. It made her love him even more.

That night, after putting Sophline to bed, and getting Jendangen to finally sleep, the couple cuddled up in bed. As the red queen rested her head on her mate's chest, she felt a paw stray onto her thigh, which made her grin devilishly.

"What, you want to again?"

"I know you want to," Mackey grinned slyly, as his paw stroked higher up her leg. She couldn't help but giggle, and she gently pulled the blanket off of them and laid back, letting him gently touch her all over. His eyes had a gentle look as they raked over her still beautiful form, "Everlasting cat, Bombi, you still look like you have years and years ago. You beauty hasn't ever changed."

It caused Bombalurina to beam and blush at the same time, but her facial expression soon changed to one of longing as his paw stroked closer to that one spot between her lower limbs. Their lips met again for a long passionate kiss, but it soon ended as they met in the act of soul mates and expressed their love for each other once again, like so many times before. Her breathing got heavier as did his as they moved in the long-lasting movement of love. It wasn't the hard, wild way, like they had years before, when Sophline was born, but nice and gentle, which satisfied both of them extensively.

A few hours later, the two mates were cuddled up again; resting, but not quite sleeping, when loud, yet meek meowing came from the other room. Macavity sighed and groaned lightly.

"You want me to take care of him this time?" his mate smiled gently and patted his chest.

"Go to sleep and get some rest. I could nap later." With that, she got out of bed to take care of their little tom. Mackey got up once and went to the other room, and quietly stood, watching Bombalurina sit by the window, soothingly talking to Jedangen. He smiled to himself and went back to bed. Even though they were in a little pinch, he knew that this was everything he had wanted. A loving mate, beautiful kittens, and a home; he couldn't ask for more or less.

Little did anyone know how much everything would change. Again.

_Well, here is Chapter 1 at last. I hope you will enjoy the sequel to Forbidden Romance. The one love scene in this chapter may be the only one romantic one in the story. There will be other more "descriptive" scenes later on in the story, but for now, this is still rated T. If you think later on this should be rated M, let me know. The chapters will be longer, because more has to be told. Which means it will take longer for each chapter to come. Also factor that I am also writing other things right now, and will be posting them anytime this month. _

_Anyways, enjoy the sequel and please review! Your remarks can let me improve the story for later on._


	2. The Rise of Tyranny

**Chapter 2**

_Warning! This chapter contains some brief suggestion of rape, and contains a gory moment and brief forced cannibalism. Consider yourself warned!_

_(Don't worry; this is the only chapter that will have this.)_

It was time. Time for what was to be his greatest achievement; the conquering of the Jellicles. The black and grey tom now stood right across the street from the junkyard. He now knew every inch of all the area around the junkyard in a 300 yard radius. There was no stone left unturned, no dent unnoticed.

"Well, boys," he quietly said to his small gang of toms, "it's time to put the tribe under new management."

The skies were turning dark grey, and there was a distinct scent of rain in the air. Based on Coricopat and Tantomille's senses, it wasn't a storm, and that was a profound relief to the rest of the tribe. It looked like only an overnight storm, which meant that, while the junkyard will be wet, it would not damper the ball. Munkustrap stood quietly on the tire, Demeter by his side, holding Catalina's paw.

"Everything looks set, Munku," Alonzo walked up, a smirk on his face, "Everyone's ready for the ball."

Munkustrap nodded, "Good, 'Lonzo. Make sure all the tribe members that can be here are here, and see who else may have come very recently that we don't know."

The black and white tom nodded, "I'll see to it. By the way, I got a message from Skimbleshanks. Apparently a storm has blown away a bridge way up north on his route back home, and he won't be able to make the ball."

"Right. We'll make do about that. Thanks for letting me know." Alonzo nodded and padded away, keeping a well-trained eye on everything. As he walked out to the outskirts of the junkyard, he suddenly got a tingling feeling, like a pair, or several pairs of eyes were watching his every move. His ears perked and he listened for even the slightest sound. As he turned around, he saw what looked like a piece of a metal pipe, but he didn't get a chance to tell for sure. The impact coursed through his head and body like a bolt of lightning, and he crumpled to the ground, losing his consciousness. Of his limp form, a tom stood proud and pleased. The second-in-command was down, now the leader.

An hour went by, with nothing else happening, though Cassandra was wandering around with apparently no sense of where she was, concerning Demeter.

"Hey, Cass, are you all right?"

The haughty Siamese glanced up at her and shook her head, "I can't find Lonzie anywhere. Have you seen him?"

Demi slightly giggled at the name Cassandra called her beau, but Munkustrap kept a straight face, "I sent him to check on things around the junkyard an hour ago. I would think he would be back."

"Do you think he's all right?"

A dark, evil sounding voice behind the tyre answered Cass' question, "Oh, he's fine, just a little knocked out."

The silver tabby and his family turned around and gasped. Standing on a pile of garbage at the same height as theirs was a black and grey tom. His eyes were a sinister yellow, as if a bolt of lightning would flash from them. He was built sturdy, yet slick, like he could easily take on a whole pack of Pollicles, but still slip through holes most other cats can't.

"Who are you?"

The answer had been rehearsed in the intruder's mind numerous times, but was finally played out, "I could be many cats and many names, but I prefer to call myself Rubanton. And don't worry about introducing yourself, Munkustrap. I know everyone's name here, and I think I know so much, that I should be considered leader."

Munku chuckled and gently pushed his mate and daughter aside, "You think you should be the leader of the tribe? I am the leader, and the only way you'll ever take over, like that's possible, is by beating me."

"That sounds like a good enough challenge to me," With that, Rubanton did a run and leaped through the air, his lower paws connecting with the Jellicle leader's chest, causing him to fall off the tyre. It took Munku a moment to realize what happened and picked himself up, glaring at the challenger.

"You just made a big mistake, you know? You must've forgotten that I am one of the best fighters around."

The intruder, now standing on the tyre grinned, "Oh really? Because my skills are no match for yours, and you shall see for yourself." With that, he jumped off of his perch and did a cartwheel, before suddenly doing a full roundhouse kick, sending Munkustrap flying onto the trunk where Jennyanydots lived. He quickly stood up again and rushed at his foe, and swung his own paws at him. Rubanton easily dodged each one of them and with a few quick jabs to the torso, the tribe's leader was on his back again.

He pushed himself to a kneeling position before diving at the tom. He felt no impact at all as he fell to the ground, not even a retaliating hit. He looked around but couldn't see the challenger anywhere, and he finally glanced up. To his amazement and shock, the black and grey tom was floating in mid-air, levitating. He had not seen it in years, since the days Macavity was in the tribe. As soon as he stood, Rubanton's left hind paw connected with Munkustrap's head, and he dropped to the ground once more. Not yet done, the tom that was proving now to be more powerful than anyone, picked his defeated opponent with one paw and threw him at the washing machine which was now occupied by Plato. The vanquished leader lay on the ground, knocked out cold.

The victor gently floated back to the ground, smiling widely, everyone else starring at him with shock. Rubanton suddenly felt a presence coming from behind and he let his left arm swing back, feeling a hard connection, and seeing an also black and white tom, Pouncival, flying back into a group of cats, toppling them over.

"Anyone else dare to challenge me?" The inquiry left everyone dead silent, no tom daring to attempt anything. Demeter, in near tears, and her daughter crying, scurried over to her mate, holding him close, and gently licking his wounds, "Well, then. Since no one else wants to try me, and since I defeated your leader, I believe I have earned the right to be the new leader of the Jellicle tribe." With a shrill whistle, a whole mob of toms appeared from all angles, entrapping everyone in the junkyard. Meanwhile, the black and grey tom stood proud and tall on the tyre, laughing sinisterly. It had happened, the Jellicle tribe had been overtaken, and it seemed as though things were about to turn into a nightmare that no one could awaken from.

The nightmare did come, only it was a terrible reality. Rubanton ruled like a most sadistic tyrant, torturing the toms, and using the young queens, some still kittens, to live out his physical fantasies. It was horrifying for everyone, as the screams of the abused queens and the tortured toms echoed through the junkyard, never ceasing. After they were done, the beaten and bloody cats were tossed back out into the open from the areas where their trauma was. Jennyanydots and Jellylorum tried their best to heal the wounds, and calm the cats down, but they were being pushed to their limits of sanity.

It had now been 3 days since Munku had been vanquished. The junkyard was now full of the screams of Mungojerrie being tortured by some of Rubanton's henchcats, and Rumpleteazer being physically abused by the evil tyrant himself. When he took Rumple, her brother tried to defend her, only to get taken for torture as a result. Demeter sat by Cassandra, holding Catalina and trying her best to block out the screams from her daughter's ears. Cassandra, who hadn't yet been through the black and grey tom's sadistic desires, was comforting Alonzo, who had been brought to the junkyard when the new leader took over. He had regained slight consciousness, but was still raked with headaches. Nearby, Asparagus and Tumblebrutus were watching over Victoria and Jemina, who had just went through Rubanton, and were sobbing without any signs of stopping.

Soon the screams stopped, and Mungo was tossed into the junkyard, out cold. Plato dragged him aside and tried to wake him, but Jellylorum stopped him.

"Be best if you don't wake him. He'll be in too much pain. You better let himself wake up when the pain isn't so bad."

Rumple was also tossed out of the leader's lair. A terrible smelling fluid was covering her, and blood running down her thighs. It was a horrid sight, and Jenny sighed with despair as she started to gently clean the shaking queen. Etcetra came over to help and Demi turned away from the sight.

"We have to find some way to get help," she quietly whispered to Cass.

"How? Rubanton's got his toms all over the area of the junkyard. No one could get past them!"

The black and gold queen looked over the junkyard, and then noticed something, "That tube where the garbage gets thrown out! I never noticed that before! You think anyone will notice I go in there?"

"You want to get out that way? What about the humans in that building?"

"I'll have a better chance with them than I will with _him_," Demeter sneaked over to where Coricopat and Tantomille were hiding. No one had been able to locate them besides the queen that had just arrived. In quiet whispers, she convinced them to conjure up a distraction; just enough for her to crawl up the garbage chute.

In moments the mystical couple was near a garbage can. Before they started the two held a telepathic conversation.

_Cori, do you think this is a good idea?_

_Don't worry about a thing. If we can get Demeter to find help, we may be able to drive _him _away._

_But what if someone notices us? Heavyside knows what could happen!_

_We have to try._

With that, the couple concentrated on the garbage can. It soon levitated and began to hover around the junkyard. Several of the henchcats were staring at it in horror, and Rubanton's messenger called him out. As he got out, the garbage can tilted upside down and suddenly fell on him, covering him with garbage, and stuffing him inside the can himself. Even though no one could see his face, everyone heard his rage.

"You damn Jellicles! Take this off right now!"

With everyone else distracted, Demi quickly crawled up the garbage chute, never looking back. It seemed like ages before she got to the end, where there was a flap door, like a kitty door. Sniffing once to make sure no humans were around, she jumped out. She had ended up in a hallway, the last place she wanted to be in. In a quick scurry, the black and gold queen went to a room facing the junkyard. The door was open and no humans were in sight, and she quickly went to a window and looked out, only part of her head showing.

Several cats took off the garbage can, and as soon as he appeared, the tyrant tossed everyone back with one swish of his paw.

"Who did this? I demand someone to admit to this!"

The two cats responsible meanwhile crept back to their hideout. Looking around, seeing if anyone acted a little suspicious, the leader noticed Mistoffelees sitting calmly, holding his kittens.

"You. What do have to say about this?"

The small, black cat looked up in fear, "I-I didn't do anything, sir! I swear I didn't!"

"Oh really?" he grabbed the young tom and started pulling him to where the torture area was, "Well, maybe a few moments with Cardlan will change…" Rubanton's eyes locked on where he knew Demeter was. Cassandra was the only one there, holding Catalina, "Where is she? Where is your friend that was just there?"

The Siamese queen looked at the vacant area and shrugged, "I don't know."

"You damn well know!" he turned to his henchcats, "Search the area. Find her and bring her to me!" To Mistoffelees, he smirked and threw him aside, "I'll deal with you later."

An hour went by, and no sign of Demeter was found. This angered the black and grey tom even more. In rage, he demanded everyone on her whereabouts. When no one responded, he suddenly grabbed Plato and pulled out a sharp piece of glass, pointing it at the tom's throat.

"Either you tell me where Dementen is, or this runty kitten gets a new place for food to go through!"

Plato spoke lightly, scared of what could happen next, "The queen's name is DEMETER, and I am not a kitten!"

"SHUT UP!" With a roar of anger, Rubanton sliced Plato's throat open, without realizing what he had done. He dropped the cat as blood starting pouring out of his throat. Plato thrashed lightly on the ground, convulsing in shock, his eyes pleading for anyone to help. After just a few moments, his eyes rolled and he let out one last tiny groan before the life drained from him. Several queens screamed, but mostly everyone was dead silent. Demter sobbed lightly from her hiding place. She couldn't believe this was happening to her own tribe members! It looked and felt like a bad dream, but it was happening! It wasn't a dream.

After breathing heavily for a few moments, letting his anger simmer, the dictator of a tom glared at Mistoffelees and Victoria.

"You," he stated, pointing to the tom, "Get rid of the body, and you," pointing to young Victoria, "Lick up the blood, every last drop. If you refuse, your own blood will be mixed with his, and that's a promise!"

Mistoffelees nodded and somehow managed to drag the limp, lifeless cat away, and Victoria, with tears pouring out of her eyes, starting licking the blood off the ground. The scene became too terrible for Demeter to watch, and only the Heaviside knew how it would affect those watching and poor Victoria.

Even though she knew she had to find help, Demeter couldn't leave just yet. She had to sit in a corner, and cry some more. Before long, she finally stopped and with a new determination, she left the building, and ran for Victoria Grove. There were plenty of friendly cats in that area, and she was sure to find help there. She knew that after what happened to Plato, she HAD to get help. The fate of her fellow tribe members depended on it.

_Well, there's chapt 2. I don't know yet how many more I'm going to do, but I believe there won't be as many chapters as _Forbidden Romance_. I know this chapter was a little gastly, but rest assured, there won't be any more. Plus, this week I'll post my first chapter of _The Macavity Chronicles. _I may interlock that story with _The Flames Within_, if it's all right with Bombalurinasara. Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and Keep on readn' and writin'. _


	3. Finding Family and Control

**Chapter 3**

Just like he assumed, Macavity was able to stockpile on food before any of the new coming humans could know what was going on. The family was now going to be well fed for quite some time now, and it made life for Bombalurina much easier. A few days had passed, and Mac was still being wanted in the better shopping areas, so he was staying home, lying low until things cooled down. He was now napping, and Bombi was sitting by the window, nursing Jendangen, who was gently purring. Because the weather showed hints of rain, Sophline was ordered to stay near the shack, so she was playing around their home, chasing bugs and a few blowing leaves. A sudden shout from her broke a gentle silence.

"Mommy! Someone's coming our way!"

The red queen put Jendangen in his padded box and walked outside. Mac, who still was a light sleeper, woke up from his daughter's shout and followed his mate outside. As soon as Bombi saw who it was, she gasped and staggered back a few steps. Who it was, was someone she had seen in years, and had never thought of seeing again.

"Demeter?"

The black and gold queen looked up at her sister, trembling, her eyes red, "Bombalurina? Bombi, please help! I…" She ran out of breath and collapsed on the ground. Bombi quickly ran to her sister and held her for a moment, tears lightly flowing out. Mackey quickly came to her and picked up Demi, carrying her to their home. Sophline, seeing the sober faces of her parents, quietly held the door open, and then backed away. Demeter regained her senses, and was quiet as Mac gently set her down on a seat. She gasped for a moment then finally spoke up.

"Bombi, I… I need help! Someone…someone has taken…over the tribe! He n-nearly killed Munku, and he's…torturing the toms and…oh Heaviside, he's raping the QUEENS! Even some of the kittens! I…I ran and hid…and he…he…"

"What, Demeter? What did he do?" Bombi pressed for an answer from her sister.

"He…he killed Plato! Sliced his throat open! And then… sob he made Misto…carry away the body and…oh Heaviside, Bombi! He made Victoria lick up the blood!"

The red queen was too stunned at first to respond, and then she gently embraced her sister, and let Demeter cry on her shoulder. Mac stood silently by the door. He had ushered Sophline out, so that she couldn't hear what was going on. It took awhile, but Demi was able to calm down slightly. As soon as she did, Macavity pressed for more information.

"Who was this cat that took over?"

Her eyes red with more tears, the black and gold queen responded quietly, "He's a black and grey tom. Strong and sturdy, yet…slim, almost like a steel wire. He calls himself, Rubanton."

"Never heard of the name. Did you say black and grey?" she nodded. Mackey's eyes lighted up, "Does he have a burn mark on his left paw?"

"I…I don't know. But his eyes were…a sinister yellow...almost like…"

"Lightning!" Mac was now standing tall, his eyes alight, "I knew it! I always heard he would do this, but I never believed it!"

Bombi looked at her mate with amazement, "Mackey, who are you talking about?"

"That cat is not known as Rubanton, but by a different name: Draconic."

"Draconic? I've heard of that name, but have never seen him," Bombalurina stated, still staring at him. Demeter was now sitting upright, also staring at the ginger tom. It shouldn't have been a surprise to either one of them that Macavity knew who Rubanton, or actually, Draconic, was. He probably knew all about the other criminal cats that wandered around the town.

"He's never been in the area of the Jellicles. Any criminal knows that messing with the tribe is just like playing Chicken in a jam-packed roundabout. Anyways, he's been known to overtake tribes, play around with them, and then hand them over to a weakling before leaving. He doesn't give a rat's fart about humans, only other cats."

"If he's never been in the area of the Jellicles, then how come he attacked them this time?" Bombi asked.

Mac shrugged, "That's what gets me. He's smart enough to know everything about the tribe. If he was able to beat Munkustrap, then he must've gotten better skilled," He once again glanced at Demi, "What did he do when he fought Munkustrap?"

His question brought back for Demeter the agony of seeing her mate being beaten to a pulp, and it took a moment for her to respond, "He…did a few quick moves…like he had trained for a long time. But the worst part…he…he…le-levitated. And he threw Munku across the junkyard…like he was a piece of trash!"

Her words caused all the color to drain from Macavity's face, and he leaned against the wall, barely standing up, "It's not possible…He…oh, no…"

"Mackey, what is it?"

The ginger tom glanced at Bombi and spoke in a stunned tone, "He knows the Dark Magic."

The red queen's face also drained, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. It's one of the sure signs, one of the first skills you achieve when you learn it. No other magician cats would attempt to levitate, because it can't be used for good in any way."

"Then how can he be beaten?" There seemed to be a touch of hopelessness in Bombalurina's voice.

"The only he can be beaten, is by another cat that knows the Dark Magic. It's so powerful; any other kind of magic can't beat it." Mac sullenly turned away and looked outside the window. Bombi knew that he was debating with himself on whether or not he would use the Dark Magic he learned so long ago (_see Flames Within and Macavity Chronicles for more reference_) to save the tribe.

"Do you think…you could…?"

Her mate turned back towards her with a stern look, "No! I will not use it again! I was controlled by it, and I will not let it use me again!"

"But Mackey! The tribe is in danger, and who knows what more he could do!"

Macavity seemed dead set against it, "I made a vow to myself to never use it again, especially after we began our life together. It's locked away now, Bombi, never to return!" With that, he walked outside, and stood quietly, looking at the sky, which was darkening with more threatening clouds.

Demeter looked at her sister with worried eyes. Bombalurina just sighed and shrugged, "I'll try talking to him, but…" Changing the subject, the red queen showed her sister their children, and they talked about how things had been in the last three years. Meanwhile, Macavity paced in a nearby alley arguing with himself.

"I can't do this! I won't!" he kept sternly talking to himself. A sudden deeper voice broke through his mind.

_You have to, if you want to save this tribe._

"That's not true!" he shouted, as if the one talking to him was right there with him, "It isn't even my tribe anymore!"

_It doesn't even matter. You still want to use it again, I know you do. You can't resist using your powers again._

"You shut the hell up!" Mac's anger was now rising to a bad point, "I know this is the Dark Magic talking, and I don't have to, and I won't, listen to you again!"

_Wonderful. Your anger is rising; your powers are starting to return. Yes, you will finally regain your abilities and together, we can finally rule the tribe as we say fit._

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" With that Macavity suddenly went into a hard focus. In his mind, he started fighting against his Dark Magic self.

_What in the world are you doing?_

"You are going to listen to ME now!" The fight lasted for some time. Mac's common sense versus the Dark Magic. Anyone who would've seen Mac would've seen him sitting in an alley in a state of meditation, muttering, "Listen to me! Listen to me!" Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mac had corralled his evil self.

_All right! All right! I give!_

The ginger tom panted loudly from exertion, "Good. Now, if I do choose to use you, will you promise to obey my orders?"

_Yes, yes, I will obey you. I am under your control._

With a sigh of relief, Macavity collapsed in the alley, satisfied. He had finally achieved control of his own demons. As he caught his breath, he knew now what to do. It was going to be his chance to redeem himself for everything he had done before, and get one last redemption into the tribe. He was going to use his Dark Magic to defeat Draconic. It was the only way the tyrant could be defeated.

_Well, finally I have gotten a new chapter out. I have 3 performances left: Today (Friday), Saturday, and Sunday. After that, I will be writing up a storm. Plus, we are finally getting a new computer, so now I will be able to have more time to type!_

_I'm just glad to have this chapter finished, and will have the next one out sometime this upcoming week. Hope you all enjoy!_


	4. Forgiving Old Times

**Chapter 4**

While Macavity had been battling the Dark Magic, Demeter was sitting in silence at the table. Bombi had started putting dinner on, which was some cans of caviar and salmon paste. Little Sophline could hardly contain her excitement as she waited for her mother to sit down. The red queen finally sat down, Jendangen in her arms. She pulled scooped up a small spoonful of paste and raised it to her son's lips. The little kitten sniffed lightly at it, then gave it a slight lick, then another, and then his little paws grabbed the spoon and he licked more of it up. Bombi smiled ever wider as she gave her son another spoonful, all the while soothingly talking to him. Demi couldn't quite make out the words, even though her ears were very keen, but her sister's voice was nonetheless a soothing balm for her nerves.

"You know Bombalurina; you always have had a mother's voice. That nice, gentle, yet firm voice. Always made me wish I had it.

The red queen grinned a bit and looked at the gold and black queen with a twinkle of pride in her eyes, "I always thank the Everlasting Cat for it."

Sophine spoke up, "She always sings for me at night before I go to sleep. Daddy says that if angels had ever given away their voices, they definitely gave them to Mommy." Bombi grinned evermore wider as she scooped another spoonful of the delicious salmon paste for her son to eat. Even though there was loads of food on the table, and even though she was famished, Demeter couldn't eat. She was still in too much shock over what had happened earlier in the day, seeing one of her own tribe members get murdered and another being forced to lick up the blood that resulted from it. Even though the room was warm, she was holding herself like it was freezing. Sophline didn't seem to pay attention to it.

"Aunt Demeter, do you think I may be able to visit the junkyard? I would really like to meet Uncle Munkustrap and Catalina and everyone else you have been talking about!"

This had Demi freeze up and she glanced at her sister, who now had a sober look on her face. Thankfully, Bombalurina answered, "We may be able to, but I'll have to talk to your father about it."

As if on cue, Macavity walked in with a straight face, and he quietly sat down at his spot on the table, eating in silence. All the while, he only gave his family and Demeter occasional glances. The gold and black queen refused to meet his eyes, as the incident at the ball a few years back and the evil, hypnotizing glare he gave her when he was exiled, were still haunting her. Afterwards, he once again went outside, noticing that a storm was on its way. Inside, Demeter helped Bombi clean up the table and put the kittens to bed.

Jendangen went to sleep almost instantly, which had his mother sighing and rolling her eyes. She knew that this meant late night wake-ups. She then put Sophline to bed, who asked once again for a song. The red queen smiled and decided that she would sing one that she had heard not so long ago by a human choir.

_Sleep, my child for the red bee hums,_

_The silent twilight falls._

_The banshee from the grey rock comes,_

_To wrap the world in thrall._

_Ay-Vann, oh, my child, my joy._

_My love, my heart's desire._

_The cricket sings you a lullaby,_

_Beside the dying fire._

_Dusk is drawn and the green man's thorn,_

_Is wreathed in rings of fog._

_Sheevra sails his boat till morn,_

_Upon the starry bog._

_Ay-Vann, oh the pale half-moon_

_Has wrapped the cusp in dew,_

_And weeps to hear this sad sleep tune._

_I sing my love to you. _

With those last words, she gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead, and gave her a goodnight, before turning to go check on her mate. As she turned she saw Demeter standing there, gazing at her.

"That song was beautiful, Bombi," Demi had a look of astonishment. Her sister's face went flush.

"I think so too. I believe it's an Irish lullaby, called, 'Garden Mother's Lullaby.'"

Demi nodded and watched her go and do a few housekeeping duties. Bombi could feel her sister's eyes on her, and finally turned towards her and questioned it.

"Something on your mind?"

Demeter nodded, "I just can't get over…I mean, I just can't believe you let me into your home like that. Especially after what I said to you when you left the tribe." (For more on what happened, read Forbidden Romance Chap. 6)

"Demi, I never took you seriously," she said with a light chuckle, "Consider it a bad habit."

"Yes, but still. You were always the one that looked after me, especially after our parents died and we were kicked out of the tribe. I don't know how you could do it, being that strong and optimistic. And look how I paid you back for it, by first helping the one cat you loved get exiled, then scorning you when you left, saying we will never be considered sisters again!"

"Demeter!" Bombi had a look of shock on her face and she walked up to her sister, putting her paws on her shoulders, "You had every right to say that to me. I made a mistake and paid for it, but I don't regret it, and I don't think about it. I am only interested in one thing now, the future. The past is what it is: The past. As for Macavity being exiled, that was really his doing, not yours, but like I said, it's in the past." With that, she gave her sister a pat on the cheek and a gentle smile, "Come, I'll make a bed for you."

The anticipated storm arrived, bringing strong, blowing winds, great streaks of lightning, and heavy rain downpours. Bombi set up a bed near a steam pipe which gave out heat, so that her sister didn't have to worry about going cold during the night. Bombalurina went to sleep, even though she didn't know where her mate was. He finally came in, his fur surprisingly dry, even though it was storming hard outside. He went to the section of the shack curtained off, where he and his mate slept. She was lying there in silence, snoring peacefully. He felt the presence of someone awake and turned his head. He saw Demeter sitting up, wide awake, holding herself, as if she was dead cold, even though she was next to a warm pipe.

"Are you all right? You should try to sleep."

"I'm not tired," The gold and black queen was speaking in quiet whispers.

"I don't think you will be able to stay awake tomorrow, especially what I have in mind."

Demeter backed against the wall, a look of fear in her eyes, "What are you going to do?"

The ginger tom chuckled, "Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything to you. I was just thinking of how I was going to take care of Draconic."

"What, you're actually going to fight him?"

Mac nodded, "I have no other choice really. I wanted to talk to you because for one, I need you to distract Draconic enough so that he doesn't see me get into the area of the junkyard, after that leave it to me."

"And what are you exactly planning for me to do?"

"You are going to have to return to the tribe."

Demeter's face went pale, "Are you crazy! I can't go back! Heaviside knows what he could do to me! And after what he did to Plato, I don't even want to know!"

"Don't worry; he won't do anything to you, trust me."

"How can I trust you? You first scared me to death when you left the tribe, and then you tried to kidnap me! What makes you think that I would want to trust you?" The gold and black queen was on the defense, backed up against the wall. Macavity's next words amazed her.

"Because I am willing to forgive and forget, if you want."

This had Demeter shock still, with wide eyes, "What are you talking about?"

Mac walked up to her and knelt, his eyes level with her own. She was afraid of looking at his eyes, but once she did, she could see a gentleness that she had never seen in the ginger tom before, "I am willing to forgive you for recommending my exile, if you are willing to forgive my vengeance against you and the tribe for what you did to me. Are you willing to forgive me?"

This had Demeter thinking. Was she willing to forgive? If she did, was she going to get blind trust in him? But if she didn't, he could have her leave and not even help the tribe, which could be destroyed.

"Y-yes…I will forgive you."

The ginger tom let out a wide grin and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. Not a hard pat, but very gentle, almost like a feathery touch. It caused Demeter to look at her brother-in-law in a whole new light.

"We should get some sleep, it's going to be a very long day tomorrow," With that, Macavity went to his bed, closing the curtain behind him. Demi was meanwhile still in amazement over what had just transpired. Just by saying that she forgave him, he did the same in the blink of an eye, and in that short moment, all of her fear of him disappeared. She had not felt that feeling of total contentness since before she had that horrifying dream of Macavity raping her. Ever since that dream occurred so long ago, she always was scared of him, fearful of him. It had all disappeared with one pat on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, Mackey went to the bed, where Bombi was already starting to sleep. With a smirk, he snuggled up against her and gave her rump a slight squeeze. She woke up gently and gave a smile when she turned, looked behind her, and saw her mate behind her. She let out a light sigh as she snuggled up right against her and put his arms gently around her waist.

"I heard you and Demeter talking. What was that all about?"

"Eh, we forgave old times," Macavity said gently.

"Yeah, I sort of did the same for her earlier," A long silence passed, before she spoke again, "So what are we going to do about her? Surely we can't send her back to the tribe."

"I have it already taken care of," her mate said with an air of confidence, "I think this may be my only chance to redeem myself for all that I had done before, and we could become tribe members again!"

"So, you are going to fight him for it?" A simple question got a simple nod, and all that Bombi could do was smile, as the couple had a long kiss. Slowly, they shifted positions until Mackey was on top of her. The two kept their lips locked, and their paws gently stroked each other. After a long moment, he stopped and lifted up slightly, so he could look into her eyes, his own with a sober look in them.

"Mackey, what's wrong?"

"I…I'm scared about what could happen from this fight," he gently rolled off of her and lied down on his back, looking up at the ceiling. The red queen sat up, looking down on him, just listening, "What if I die? I couldn't stand to leave you behind to raise the kittens by yourself. And if something were to happen to you," He sat up and buried his face in his paws, "I would die. I could never forgive myself," Bombalurina sat in stunned silence as her mate gently sobbed. She gently put her paw on his head and slowly pushed him back onto the bed. She then lightly stroked his arm with one paw, and his forehead with the other.

"Mackey, nothing will happen to us. I can feel it. We won't lose each other."

Macavity sat up again and gazed into her eyes, which were full of gentleness, and love for him. He couldn't help but give her another long, passionate kiss, and pulled her into his arms. That night, the pair made love like never before. It was a mix of the hard, wild way they had done early in their life together, and the gentle way they did nowadays. It was a night he and she never forgot.

The clock was now ticking on Draconic's reign of terror on the Jellicle Tribe. It was going to end tomorrow, one way or another.

_Well there is the next chapter. I will have the next one out in about the same timeframe it took this one. I will be going down to Milwaukee for the weekend, so I probably won't start on the next chapter until Monday. _

_Bombalurinasara: Nice job so far on In the Eyes of the Moonlight. Keep it up!_

_Note: The song that was written in this chapter was a song that the choir I am in, in school, sang a few months ago. I had been humming it all day, and I had no choice but to put it in! I have already changed my list of what stories I'm planning to do next. I have already started writing Future Reforms, a StarFox fanfic, and I am planning another CATS fanfic where several members of the tribe accidentally stow away to America. Plus, a Madagascar fanfic called, "The Madagascar Penguins go Cross Country." The plot is basically the title you see there._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter! Peace!_


	5. The Return to the Tribe

**Chapter 5**

Morning came, and Macavity couldn't sleep any more. The adrenaline rush from anticipation kept him awake, but it didn't really bother him, since he used to run on very few hours of sleep when he was a criminal. He got up gently, without disturbing Bombi, and checked on everyone else. Demeter was sleeping, which was good for her, and he couldn't hear any light mewing, which meant to him that his son was also sound asleep. He walked over to where Sophline was sleeping, and just stood by her bedside, watching her sleep. As he quietly watched his sleeping daughter, he reflected on the day she was born.

_It had been 9 months since Bombi had left the tribe and moved in with him. They were now living in happy marital bliss. One day, Mackey came home from his usual job of stealing food. As he came into the shack, he noticed something was amiss._

"_Bombi? Where are you?"_

_As he called for her, he heard a painful, weak voice call out his name. He went into the next room, and saw his mate laying on the floor, curled up into a ball, in obvious pain, a puddle next to her. With one simple blink, he knew what was happening: Their kitten was ready to enter the world of the living._

"_Everlasting Cat, Bombi!" Mac shouted in irritation, "Why didn't you call for me? I would've heard you, since I was only 2 blocks away!"_

_Bombalurina was in too much pain to speak and her mate's anger at not being called when in need was quickly forgotten. With his help, 40 minutes later, their new kitten was born. A queen, whose fur was a wonderful blend of Macavity's ginger red, and Bombi's crimson red, plus her face was a beautiful snow white, with the same white also on all of her paws and the tip of her tail. She also had streaks of black all over, making her an almost perfect mix of Bombalurina and Mac. Together, the couple lounged on the bed, their new daughter wrapped snugly in a blanket. Mackey couldn't help but smile, and gently moved his finger over the little kitten's face. The meek queen cringed and lightly covered her face, which had the red queen that was her mother smile broadly. She gently rubbed her head against her daughter, and purred gently. Before long, the little newborn joined her mother in purring. _

_At that moment, nothing could seem to come between them. Their world now only composed of the trio that was now together. They were now a family._

"_What do you think we should call her?"_

_Bombalurina glanced at her mate, then at her daughter, "I'm not sure. There are many names I could call her," She thought for a long time before answering, "What about Sophline? She was my great aunt, and I knew her for a little bit before she died when I was just a kitten. I really liked her."_

_Mackey had no response, just a nod, "That sounds fine. Sophline."_

Almost as if it was a dream, he suddenly awakened. He was still standing by Sophline's bedside, and she was still sleeping, only the dark of the night was disappearing, and being replaced by the light of the new day. He quietly left the little queen's place of slumber and went into the kitchen. Demeter had just started to awake.

"How are you feeling now?"

The gold and black queen shrugged, "Better, I guess. I'm surprised that I was able to sleep like that. Exhaustion, I guess."

The ginger tom nodded, "It was good for you," That was all that he could say, no more. It was still awkward for both of them. A sudden meek mewing echoed through the shack. Demeter quickly glanced at Macavity, who just sat quietly, unconcerned. Before she could ask him why he was just sitting, and not checking on his son, she heard a light groan, and saw her sister walk out of her room and head to the cardboard box that held the couple's son.

"Shh, shh, love. It's all right, Mommy's here," Bombalurina soothingly spoke, "You look like you had a good night's sleep, didn't you?..." Demi was stunned, Mac just smiled.

"It's always been the same. The slightest bit of crying from him and she wakes up right away, like he's an alarm clock or something like that."

Demeter nodded and gave a slight chuckle, amazed that her sister could be able to do something like that. Before long, Bombi, holding the family's son, and Sophline all came for breakfast. It was a very quiet affair again, and finally Bombalurina broke the silence.

"When do you think we'll leave?"

Her ginger mate glanced up for a moment then quietly spoke, "Probably as soon as we are done eating here."

Little Sophline's ears perked up, "You mean, we are going to the junkyard?"

Mackey nodded, "Yes, hon. We are going."

The red kitten squealed with delight, "I can't wait! Can we go now? Please?"

"_Could_ we?" Bombi corrected her, "and not just yet. We have to finish breakfast first."

The result was some quick eating from the young queen and constant begging afterwards. Finally, after the others were done eating, it was time. Macavity led the way, with Bombi walking behind carrying Jendangen, and Demeter next to her with Sophline. The walk seemed to take longer than usual, and as they neared the junkyard, Mac could feel the evil coursing through him, and he knew that they were near. At the last corner, they could see a pile of garbage that led to the junkyard. At that moment, there was no one scouting the area. Macavity turned to Demi.

"All right, this is it. You go over that pile and into the junkyard. Undoubtedly, Draconic will try to do something to you, but don't worry at all. I won't let him harm my sister-in-law. Trust me. I'll be right behind you."

The gold and black queen nodded, and started shaking in anticipated fear. She managed to swallow her fear briefly, and slowly climbed over the pile. As soon as she disappeared, Macavity sighed and glanced up at the overcast sky, a hint of a storm in the air, and closed his eyes.

"Everlasting Cat," he muttered, "Please use your guiding paw, and lead me into this fight with no fear. Blessed be the Cat that teaches my paws to war, and my fingers to fight," With that, he turned to his mate, and held her in his arms for a moment, before gazing into her eyes.

"I love you with all my heart," he said quietly.

"I know you do. As do I," the red queen responded. The couple had a short, but passionate, and heartfelt kiss. Sophline giggled slightly, and as soon as they separated, the ginger tom scurried over the pile as well. Bombalurina quietly sat and waited, holding her confused daughter, and infant son, waiting. She was going to wait until the fight was about to begin, then she would come to the junkyard, as she wanted to see Mackey fight, rather than sit back here, worrying herself to death about whether he was living or not. She had heard about humans, and how their families had to stay home while their particular loved ones went to war, not knowing from one day to the next whether they were alive or dead, and she didn't want to experience it herself. So she waited…

Demeter quietly went over the garbage pile, and could easily see the junkyard. There was a foreboding feel to the sight, and it was an unpleasant feeling, yet she continued on. She was now very close to the junkyard, and as soon as she could see the old, rusting car, she could head towards it with no one seeing her. But one loose piece of garbage fell away under her paw, and she was unable to keep her balance. She tumbled down the slope of the pile, and after what seemed like an eternity, she felt the hard impact of the ground as she landed on her back. It was a low blow to the ego, since Jellicles were always supposed to land on their feet, but that mattered little in the next instant.

A big, black paw reached down and grabbed her throat, pulling her up and level to his face. Demeter could barely react before she was eye-to-eye with one of the tyrant's henchcats.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to return," the tom spoke with a sinister gaze, "Rubanton will be delighted to see you again," With that, the tom carried the gold and black queen to the junkyard. Demeter was now scared to death. She was trapped and she was about to experience Rubanton's, or actually, Draconic's wrath, and there was no escape.

The plight in the junkyard was terrible. As a result of the dictator of a cat's abuse, Jemina and Rumpleteaser were both now pregnant, and many of the other cats were in very bad shape as well. Victoria was in the worst mess after being forced to lick up all of Plato's blood, and she was now on the verge of a breakdown. At Jennyanydots' insistence, Coricopat and Tantomille agreed to hide her with them to remove the pure white queen from all the stress occurring. The black and grey tyrant tom was no longer abusing any queens, but now his henchcats were getting into the act, which didn't help anyone's situation at all. Even the toms couldn't escape, as there was a trio of henchcats that were homosexuals, and now many of the Jellicle toms were nothing more than barely breathing, unrecognizable masses of fur. Alonzo had finally regained full consciousness after his blow to the head, but Jellylorum confirmed that he had a major concussion, and may had his skull slightly fractured, and only the Everlasting Cat knew if he would ever be the same again.

The junkyard was surprisingly quiet, as no abuse had been inflicted on any of the cats yet. Everyone was sitting in small groups, all fearing for their lives. All of a sudden, one of the henchcats came into the junkyard with a queen in his paw. Everyone immediately recognized her as Demeter, and they all just watched as the tom called out, "Bring out Rubanton! It's most urgent!"

It took a moment before the black and grey tom came out of his niche, with a curious look on his face, "What is it, Almanza?"

"Sir, I have brought you a gift, which I found near one of the garbage piles," With that he carelessly tossed Demeter at Rubanton, and she landed at his feet. Before she could even get ready to pull herself up, his paw reached out and grabbed her headfur, pulling her up to meet his eyes. She screamed lightly in pain.

"So, you thought it would be fun to just run off for awhile, eh? Well, you are about to find that that is a very bad idea," With that, he threw the gold and black queen onto her back, and he immediately knelt on top of her. With an absolute fear in her eyes, she realized that he was going to rape and beat her right in front of everybody, to set an example, and she struggled hard to keep him at bay. One of the Jellicle toms shouted out, "Hide the kittens! Don't let them see!" Demeter could see her daughter, Catalina in the crowd, being held by Cassandra, Munkustrap trying to help his mate, but was held back by some of Rubanton's henchcats. Everyone was shouting in panic, and Catalina was screaming the loudest, "MOMMY! DON'T HURT MOMMY!"

Demi kept struggling, but a sudden slap to her face caused her to freeze. With that pause, the black and grey tom, separated her legs, and got between them. She started begging desperately for mercy, "Please…please don't hurt me…"

"You are about to learn an important lesson, you Jellicle bitch! In my tribe, you never, EVER, try to run off!" He was just about to violate her, and penetrate, when a loud, sharp, angry voice shouted out, which had everyone, including Rubanton, go shock still.

"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Rubanton growled and backed away slightly from the prone queen, "Who said that! Identify yourself!"

A shadow near the tyre revealed the mystery cat's location, and his voice was heard, confident, and slightly cocky, "Oh, just like you, I'm identified in many ways, and many names, Rubanton. Or should I call you…Draconic?" This had the tyrant's eyes widening in anger and he stood up.

"THAT NAME NO LONGER EXISTS! ONCE AGAIN, I DEMAND YOUR NAME!"

The shadowed cat once again spoke. Many swore that they could recognize the voice, but they weren't sure, "Like I said, I'm called many things. The Bafflement of Scotland Yard, The Flying Squad's Despair, The Napoleon of Crime… The Hidden Paw."

The last one had him frozen stiff. That last name he knew too well, "You…you are…"

The shadowed cat finally came out of the shadows, and revealed himself, "That's right. I am…Macavity."

Everyone in the Junkyard gasped, not believing that it was _him_! Munkustrap was stunned more than any other. The ginger tom looked almost exactly like he did years ago, when he was still in the tribe. His ginger fur was slick and shiny, his whiskers evenly combed. It was almost like a time warp. Rubanton, or actually Draconic, was now amused.

"Macavity? Well, for the reputation you get, you look pretty well groomed for a criminal."

Mac grinned lightly, "Some things change."

"Yes, but some things don't. I know who you are Macavity, not because of your crimes, but what you did to me years ago! You attacked my brother, the real Rubanton, and he ended up dying because of you!"

Macavity tilted his head in confusion, "Your brother? I couldn't have, unless he…" He suddenly realized who that cat was and what he did, "HE WAS THE ONE THAT KILLED MY FAMILY!" (Macavity Chronicles, Chapt. 4)

"Because they lived in OUR home! We grew up there! And your little snobbish family stole it from us! Well, we decided that if we can't live there, no one can. They deserved it!"

This had Mac getting very angry, and he could start to feel the Dark Magic taking power, but he managed to keep it in check, "That's it! You've done enough! I'm here now to take this tribe back!"

The black and grey tom grinned, "Well, you'll have to beat me to get it! And since I will finally kill the cat that killed my brother, this victory will be much sweeter!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Macavity closed his eyes and concentrated. In his mind, he notified his Dark Magic self, "It's time to do your job."

_Yes, sir._

The ginger tom started shaking from pent up anger, brought on by Draconic's taunts of Mac's family. Finally, after a long wind-up, he finally threw his head back and roared. A huge burst of energy flew out from him in the form of a strong gust, throwing many back. Several windows shattered, and some swore they could see many heavy objects get tossed several feet. Macavity's fur started standing on end, his claws and fangs grew longer, his head fur turning into a straggly mane, and the white on his face was replaced by black with red lines. When his head settled back, he was once again in his classic image of The Hidden Paw. Many of the young queens screamed, and almost all of Draconic's henchcats cowered back. Only the tyrant himself stood firm, though his heart skipped a beat.

It was now going to begin, the fight for the Jellicle Tribe.

_Whew! My longest chapter yet! And the next one may be longer. I probably won't get much done until next week, but I will be putting in bits and pieces. This was once again a way of interconnecting my stories together. Now Macavity, Rubanton, and Draconic have come full circle, well almost._

_Bombalurinasara: Great Job so far! Keep it going!_

_I am also writing now my two Star Fox fanfics: Future Reforms, and The Lylat Renaissance, and those should be out by the end of the month, hopefully! I got so many story ideas, I don't know where to start! But I will get all of them typed up and sent out onto this site. I also hope to finish out the Macavity Chronicles, though I will wait for Bombalurinasara to continue Flames Within before that happens. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and get ready for a lot of magic fighting, next!_


	6. The Dark Magic Clash

**Chapter 6**

Draconic tried to keep a brave face, but Macavity could see his pupils shrinking slightly in shock. By this time, Bombalurina had managed to enter the junkyard with her kittens, and went next to Demeter, who was now safely in Munkustrap's arms, and her daughter embracing her as well. Everyone, including the henchcats of Draconic, stood back, and let these two Dark Magic cats battle it out.

"Very nice transformation, Macavity," Draconic sneered, "But you are about to see that my powers far exceed yours," With that, the black and grey tom, the yellow in his eyes flashing like lightning, levitated 10 feet up into the air. Mac grinned to himself and with old ease, floated up to Draco's altitude, causing the evil tom to gasp inwardly. Outwardly he held his composure.

"You were saying?" the ginger tom asked in a teasing tone, which irritated his foe extensively.

"Okay, so you have some good skills, but I have trained in this magic for years. It's like second nature to me."

"Just like I did years ago," This had Draconic's anger rising ever higher, which was exactly what Macavity wanted. He had learned, the hard way, to never attack in anger.

"That's enough, you bastard! Time to show you my true power!" With that, Draconic sent a lightning bolt at his challenger. Mac showed great reflexes and instincts by easily dodging the attack. He fluently sent his own barrage of magic, but likewise, the tyrant made him miss every time. This made the fighters realize that the other's skills were as equal as their own. Confirming this in his mind, Macavity flew at Draconic, attempting a few punches. Draconic got a paw against the side of his head, but was unfazed and with a full strength kick, he sent Mac flying away. The ginger tom quickly steadied himself and flew back into attacking range. Draconic was ready and sent more lighting bolts out of his paws and at his enemy. Mac reacted just in time and sent his own bolts out in retaliation. The pair's bolts met in between them, but neither could get the other to break. Suddenly, a burst of energy exploded between them and caused them to fall. Draconic landed on his back onto a pile of garbage, while Macavity twisted his body and gracefully landed on his feet. The black and grey tom dragged himself out of the garbage, and glared at the ginger tom that was his opponent. In a flash, he ran at Mac and attempted a diving tackle, but just as he was about to impact with him, he felt nothing but air and landed on the hard ground, groaning in pain. He quickly stood up and looked up, expecting to see Macavity levitating over him.

Macavity wasn't there. He was a few feet away, temporarily hidden behind a dumpster. In a blink, he flew past Draconic, giving him a hard kick to the back of the head, knocking him down, and then flying high above the junkyard. Draconic struggled to hold onto his temper, and flew after his challenger. As soon as they were eye to eye, 30 feet away from each other, the storm hit. Lightning flashed around both of them, and rain fell in torments, but due to their magic, neither of the fighting cats were a tiny bit wet. The two flew at each other again, and unleashed all of their punches, kicks, scratches, and spells they could think of, but for every attack, there was a counter, and neither could gain an edge.

Down below, the Jellicles, under shelter, watched the fight. Demeter glanced over at Bombi, and noticed that she wasn't watching the fight, but instead had her eyes closed, gently whispering, clutching her infant kitten. Everyone's heart was racing, due to the fear of what these two fighters could do to each other, and who would win. It seemed like everyone was holding their breath, afraid to let it out, as they watched the duel. All of a sudden the two cats collided and they fell back to earth, together. They kept falling, not slowing down. Some queens screamed, many others gasped. They kept falling, and they landed on a pile of garbage. The pile practically exploded and bits fell onto the cats' shelters, causing them to jump in fear. They looked back at where the pile was, and all that was left were two toms; one lying on the ground, motionless, the other standing over him. The one standing picked up his opponent with ease, and everyone could tell now that Macavity was the one standing tall, carrying Draconic like he was a kitten. With one punch, he sent Draconic flying into a dumpster. He stood there, silent, now soaking wet, as his magic wasn't repelling the rain anymore, gazing around.

All of a sudden, Draconic burst out the dumpster, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "THIS IS MY TRIBE, ALL MINE!" With that shout, he flew at Mac and gave him a hard swipe with his sharp claws. The junkyard echoed with the ginger tom's scream of pain, and he fell to the ground, his arms wrapped around his torso, blood staring to mix with the rainwater on the ground. Draconic stood there, staring at his fallen opponent, panting loudly. Bombi stared in shock silence, staring wide-eyed at her injured mate. Munkustrap covered the eyes of his daughter, and Bombalurina's.

"Now you see!" the tyrant shouted, "No one is greater than me! I am the greatest fighter of them all, and I deserve to rule this tribe! You want to know why I attacked you puny Jellicles? Because you deserve it! You are always having that stupid "ball," and always rejoicing over being a cat! What's so great about it? Don't you all realize how bad it is for other tribes? They are barely struggling to survive, and here you all dance and sing like nothing's bloody wrong! That's why I'm here, so you all can see what a real tribe is!"

What he didn't notice was that Mac had managed to pick himself up just enough so that he could stand. He quietly neared the villain and with the last of his strength and adrenaline, thrusted his paw into Draconic's back. No one had noticed, and they suddenly heard the black and grey tom scream in pain and agony. They all suddenly gasped or screamed, noticing that the ginger tom's paw had gone completely through him. Draconic stared wide-eyed at the paw poking out of his chest. The paw suddenly displayed its claws, and the paw pulled back, ripping an even bigger hole through the tyrant. He screamed again, and fruitlessly covered his open wound, which poured out blood. Blood also came out of his mouth, and as he fell to his knees, he managed in as loud a voice as he could, his last words.

"You…damned…Jellicles!"

With that, his eyes rolled back, and he fell forward, dead. Mac stood their, barely able to stand. He glanced at the henchcats, who were starting to try to leave, as they were a little panicked over their leader being killed. Noticing this, he looked over at Munku.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted, "Get them out of here!"

With a rallying shout, the Jellicle toms that could still fight went after the remainder of Draconic's gang. In a matter of minutes, they were all gone, scattered into the four winds. Everyone started quietly walking back into the open, the storm now gone. They all did nothing but walk around in silence. Then they all started to smile and laugh and cheer. Mates kissed and embraced, friends hugged and shouted in joy. Bombi quickly went to her mate and embraced him, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"You did it, Mackey! You did it!" He didn't respond, but simply pulled away, leaving her to give the ginger tom a curious look, "What's wrong, dear?

Mackey glanced down at his torso, and his red mate looked as well and gasped in horror. There were four dark red streaks going across, and blood was lightly flowing out. He tried to say something, but he collapsed. Bombi screamed his name, and held him up.

"Mackey! Someone get Jennyanydots! Quick, Mackey's hurt!"

A few hours passed before his med exam was finished. Considering that Jenny and Jellylorum were both exhausted, it was fairly quick. Many of the tribe came to ask Bombi how he was doing, and every time, she responded, "I don't know." Tugger constantly got near, like he wanted to say something to her, but every time, he resisted, and walked away. After what seemed like an eternity, the old Gumbie Cat walked out of the trunk that was the infirmary, and looked at the red queen with dark rings under her eyes.

"How is he?"

The tabby sighed, with a sad look on her face, "He's internally and externally bleeding. We can't stop it. He's going to die within a few days."

Bombalurina stared, wide-eyed, stunned. Suddenly, her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Even though the evil was gone, things were not going to improve, yet.

_Not as long as I thought, but I figured I get this done soon. I got a new CATS fanfic in the works right now. A love triangle romance tale starring Victoria, Plato, and Mistoffelees, called "A Rose Blooms For Two." After that, I have a sort of humor story about some of the Jellicles accidentally getting packaged to America, and they have to find a way back. I have so many ideas, I don't know where to start, but they will come! Plus, chapter one of my Star Fox fanfic, The Lylat Renaissance, is almost done! The next chapter of this story will come soon! Keep reading!_


	7. Personal Enigmas and Egos

**Chapter 7**

"Bombi? Bombalurina, wake up!"

Demeter's shouts woke up the red queen from her shocked slumber, and she came to, realizing that she had fainted, and she was now in Demeter's and Munku's den. The remembrance of the faint reminded her of the reason she swooned.

"Oh, no, Mackey! He's…he's going to…!" She couldn't contain herself and broke down, sobbing without stop. Demi embraced her sister, letting a few tears of her own fall down. After a while, Bombi calmed down, though the gold queen could tell that the light in her eyes had faded away, "How…is he?"

Demeter gently caressed Bombi's paw with her own, giving her comfort, "He's awake now, and even though he has coughed extensively for awhile, no blood has come out of his mouth yet."

"Meaning the…internal bleeding hasn't gone…to his lungs…yet," Bombalurina finished with a sad tone. With that, she quietly left and went to the infirmary area. Before she got there, Sophline, with Munkustrap accompanying her approached Bombi.

"Mommy! Is…is Daddy going to be all right?" the small red queen asked with a begging look in her eyes, "Please tell me he will be all right!"

The elder red queen knelt to her daughter and gently sighed, "I…wish I could say that, dear…but…I can't…" Sophline didn't need to hear any more to know. She quickly shook her head in denial, and suddenly ran off. Munku quickly said he will get her and ran after his niece. All Bombi could do was just stay still on one knee. Everything was falling apart for her. After a long moment, she was finally able to stand and go to the infirmary. Inside, Jellylorum was rinsing a few bloody rags, and Jennyanydots was fast asleep in one corner. The old Gumbie Cat had earned a good sleep.

Jelly glanced at the red queen and nodded to the white sheet, where behind that, Mackey was, "He's awake, though it isn't looking too good for him."

"Have you told him that…?"

"He's going to die?" the elder queen spoke in a more quiet tone, so he couldn't hear, "No, Jenny thinks it is best if you tell him. I know it's going to be hard for you, but if you want me to be there with you, I can."

"No, that's all right," Bombalurina whispered with a sad tone. Taking a deep breath, she moved the sheet aside just enough for her to enter. She could barely hold back tears as she saw her mate lying on a bed, blanket covering him. He looked so helpless, so weak. He glanced up at her and smiled.

"Hey, hon. How are you doing?"

Bombi couldn't help but return the smile, "I'm alright, though I will be better when you are all better. Jelly told me that you…should be out of bed within 2 weeks at the most."

Mac looked at her with a suspicious look on his face, "Liar. I could tell by the tone of your voice," he sighed and looked up at the ceiling, "I know I'm going to die. I can almost…feel my body giving up. Like how an old light bulb slowly fades away as it dies."

Bombalurina's face pinched together, like she was trying to hold back her tears, but she finally let out a sob and laid her face onto her mate's chest, lightly so as not to irritate his wounds, "You're dying, Mackey! I…I can't lose you! Not again!" she cried out all of her held in tears. Macavity just laid a paw on her head. After her crying quieted down again, he talked again.

"Bombi, please look at me," She looked up and into his eyes. His image had changed once again back to the tom that she had loved for so long, "You are a very strong queen, I know that for a fact because you were brave enough to watch over the kittens when I would be out scavenging all day, even when the weather was turning bad. You never panicked and you were always comforting our children that I would be back. I know you can make it through this, but you are going to have to will yourself to. It'll be alright. You have your family here, and after I'm gone, there will be two little kittens that are going to need their mother more than ever," He stopped and started coughing loudly, like a whooping cough. Then he settled down and laid back, looking up at the ceiling again.

"You know what bothers me the most right now?" He said quietly. His mate quietly shook her head.

"I never figured out who I was, what my purpose was in life. All I did was made other cats' lives miserable," He closed his eyes for a moment before finishing, "Who am I? What was my purpose? Why am I here?"

This had her thinking for a long moment herself before she was able to figure it out, "Mackey, your purpose was this; to help this tribe, to save it! I once heard everything happens for a reason, and I think I have figured it out. Your learning the Dark Magic happened because fate found out in the long run, it would be needed for the benefit of the tribe. And it saved the Jellicles from evil!"

"I figured that out myself, but I am an enigma, Bombi. I don't know what kind of a cat I am."

"Mackey, I know what kind of a cat you are. You are one that can't stand to see someone else suffering before you. I know that for a fact, because you stood up for me when I first arrived in the Jellicles. Remember when Tugger said how different my fur was? And you defended me, and helped make me feel belonged! I was grateful for that! And you decided to sacrifice yourself to save this tribe. That's what kind of a cat you are. You are unselfish, caring, and selfless. That's who you are."

His mate's words got the ginger tom thinking and he suddenly realized she was right. All these years, he had tried to figure out who he was, and what his purpose was, like his father had said to him that final night he was alive (Read Macavity Chronicles, and The Flames Within by Bombalurinasara for more on these past incidents mentioned). It made him feel more at peace, realizing that all he had wanted to find out had been there in him the whole time, and he never acknowledged it.

At around the same time, Munkustrap was sitting in his den, his daughter Catalina playing with Sophline, though the little red queen wasn't exactly in a playful mood. Demeter came in with a quiet, sober look on her face.

"How is she?"

"Bombi's alright, but these next few weeks are going to be very difficult for her," The gold and black queen told her mate.

The silver tabby nodded, "We'll have her stay with us for awhile, until she's able to stand on her own two feet again."

Demi nodded and walked over to where Jendangen was sleeping. For a long moment, she just stood there, watching her nephew, and felt a stab of guilt, sorry that this little tom was never going to come of age without a father. It really made her heart cry for him. Munku's voice broke her thoughts.

"I've been thinking. Misto told me that the Jellicle moon may be shining tomorrow night. He got that from the twins. Anyways, that means that before dawn, I will have to choose someone to…"

"Go to the Heaviside Layer?" Demeter finished the sentence, and looked back at him, "Are you…you're considering…Macavity?"

"No! Absolutely not! There's no way I'm going to choose him. He doesn't deserve it!"

"What do you mean he doesn't deserve it! Didn't you see what he did? He saved the whole tribe from _him_! And he sacrificed himself for all of us!" Demi shouted at her mate. Munkustrap had no emotion on his face, but the gold and black queen could see hate in his eyes.

"I don't care. I am not sending him up at all! Period!"

Demeter sighed and looked back at her nephew. A new thought went through her head and she turned back to the silver tabby, "Is this about what he's done to you in the past? That rivalry you two had all those years ago? Everlasting Cat, you two were _kittens_! Grow up! You can't just let an age-old rivalry separate you two!"

"It's not that, Demi! It's…something else."

"Than, what is it? Is it because he was able to defeat Draconic and you couldn't? What, is this an ego thing now? Whatever you fail, and someone else succeeds, you always become jealous of that cat, and you don't talk to them for a long time," Demeter was now glaring at him. Her mate walked up to her, so that they were face-to-face.

"I'm never jealous. I'll never be jealous of others."

"What about the ball when Macavity attacked and you tried to fight him off? You got knocked out, Alonzo took care of him, and couldn't even look him in the eye for weeks! Not jealous, my foot! For Heaviside's sake, Munku, look at yourself! Think about what he did! He saved the whole tribe, made it free again! If your ego can't handle that…" She couldn't finish and she stomped outside, fuming, leaving a sullen tom behind.

Munkustrap just watched her leave and shook her head. As he turned around, he saw his daughter and niece looking at him with wide eyes. He avoided them and sat next to his nephew. As he watched the little orange tom sleep, he suddenly felt a slight change of heart. This little kitten was going to someday ask him what Mac was like. What was he going to tell him, that he was an evil, ruthless criminal? That would put any cat to shame! He started thinking of what Demi had said to him. He slowly realized that he was…no, it wasn't possible! Tugger was that, not him!

"Everlasting Cat!" he muttered under his breath, "Am I…egoistical? Am I letting my pride taking over my responsibilities?"

This bothered the Jellicle leader, and had him sitting there for a long time.

_Ah, how I love suspense! I noticed that the last two reviews for this story both had people starting to feel sympathy for the Hidden Paw. Well, I'm glad to know I have struck a cord with some, and I hope you all keep R and R. I got probably 3-4 more chapters of this story left, maybe more. Once I'm done, I'll either continue the Macavity Chronicles, or do my next CATS fan fic, A Rose Blooms For Two. Anyways, glad to know people like this story, and hope you all keep readin' and writin'!_


	8. Dying to Die

**Chapter 8**

Rum Tum Tugger was also deep in thought as well and he constantly struggled to find some alone time, but so many little queens were after him, and the only place he could find peace was Munkustrap's den. Inside, he saw his brother sitting next to Jendangen's little bed, where the orange kitten was resting.

"Something wrong?"

The silver tabby glanced up at him and shrugged, "I suppose you could say that." The Maine Coon glanced around the den and noticed no one else was there.

"Where is everybody? Where's your lovely Demeter?"

"We sort of had a disagreement."

"Ah, what about?" That question had Munku glaring at him.

"What, you think I'm going to tell _you_? I don't even like talking about _your_ problems, but then again, you never have any, right?"

"C'mon Munkie! I'm your own brother! You can tell me what's wrong or what's going on. Trust me."

Munkustrap thought for a moment then nodded, "Well, alright. But remember, you tell nobody. Tugger, answer me on this, and be honest. Am I egotistical?"

"What do you mean?"

Tugger's brother sighed and glanced down at his paws, "Well, Demi says that I always try to protect my ego whenever someone does something I tried and can't do, like just yesterday when Macavity defeated Draconic. She thinks he should the one sent to the Heaviside Layer, because he freed the tribe."

"And you are too envious to send him, like during the Ball when Macavity attacked, right? Alonzo was the one that fought him away, and you failed. Boy was your dander up after that! You couldn't even look at Lonzo in the eye for weeks afterward, let alone talk to him!"

"Don't remind me!" the silver tabby answered with a growl, "Anyways, I have been wondering. What if she was right? Am I letting my ego control me? What should I do?"

"What do you think is the right thing to do?"

"I…I don't know…I mean, Mac has only done this one very good deed and that's it. I just don't see how saving the tribe alone can redeem him for all that he did over the years. How could the Everlasting Cat even consider that? He hasn't done anything else that was good."

"What about when he found Demeter and her sister and brought them to the tribe? In a sense, he brought you the queen you now love and adore," Tugger answered with a smug grin, which always irritated his brother.

"Well…alright that's two things, but one of those is more personal than the others. That doesn't help much."

The Maine Coon knew that he was going to have to figure out something soon, or else it will be impossible to change his mind. With no other choice, he said the words that had his brother freeze in thought, "What do you think Father would've done?" referring to Deuteronomy, who was now in the Heaviside Layer himself. Munkustrap couldn't respond to that, and he just sat there, wondering. What _would've_ his father done? Would he have forgiven the tom that was once a master criminal and a monster of depravity?

"And as for your ego, I think that you think you have a duty, a reputation, and you want to hold that up as much as possible. But remember, we all have off days, and the best thing to do is to learn from you mistakes and build off of them, rather than dwell in them forever."

Munku glanced up at his brother and gave a smirk of his own, "Since when do you suddenly give words of wisdom like that?"

"Ever since we could talk to each other, where our reputations mean bull plop," Tugger responded with a grin of his own. The two shared a chuckle, and the tense air in the den loosened up greatly. The sight of two little queens standing in the door also helped the silver tabby forget all that had happened in the few minutes past.

"Father," Catalina asked respectfully, "Could we please go and visit Uncle Mac and Aunt Bombi?"

Munku grinned, "Of course. I have a few words to say to him myself."

Munkustrap, holding Catalina's and Sophline's paws, went into the trunk where Macavity was. Bombalurina was sitting by his bedside, gently holding one of his paws. The ginger tom glanced over at the trio entering and smiled.

"Well, hello there. And who might this radiant queen with my daughter be?"

Munkustrap grinned, "Well, this is my daughter, Catalina." The black and white queen quietly went up to Mac's bedside. She had a kind of sad look to her eyes, as apparently Sophline told her what was going to happen to him.

"It's very nice to meet you Uncle Mac."

The ginger tom grinned at his niece, "And very nice to meet you too," the two shook paws, and he glanced over at his daughter, "Why the long face, hon? Aren't you glad that your daddy's alright?"

Sophline's face winced in an attempt to hold back tears, but she instead ran off again, Catalina running after her. Mackey immediately glared at his mate.

"You told her!"

"I…I couldn't lie to her. You have to understand!"

Mac groaned and lay back, "Great, just great! Now how is she going to be able to talk to me now that she knows what's going to happen to me?" Just as he finished his rampage, Jellylorum burst in.

"Macavity, don't be shouting! It's not going to improve you!" The ginger tom responded with a piercing glare. His mate quickly stood up for him.

"Please, Jelly, he's going through a rough time right now. Everyone is, so let's please keep everything quiet."

The elder cat nodded, "Yes, you are right. I better go check on Jemina and Rumpleteazer."

Bombalurina understood, hearing what had happened to them as a result of Draconic, "You think they're going to have abortions?"

"Not from what I can tell. Mungojerrie's set against it, and Jemmi's too sweet to even consider it."

"I feel so sorry for them. Without a mate and having kittens, it's going to be very hard for both of them," Bombi said with a tone of guilt. It was hard for any queen to have kittens and no tom to care for her. Jelly left, and Bombi, at Mac's insistence, followed. For the longest time, he just lay there, wondering how it was going to feel dying. How did his parents and his little brother die? Did they die quickly with limited pain, or did they suffer terribly? Mac hoped that it was the former.

"Am I interruptin' somethin'?" A sharply accented voice broke the silence. Munku, who had been staring at the ginger tom in bed rest without saying a word, looked up.

"I think so, Mungo. It would be best if you leave."

Macavity glared at the Jellicle leader, "It'll be fine, and it will be better if _you _leave."

Feeling offended, the silver tabby left, leaving Mac alone with his former partner-in-crime. The brown cat grinned at him.

"Howsit feelin', boss?"

Mac grinned through the pain, "Well, I didn't think dying would hurt so much," he chuckled lightly at his own little quirk, and then went serious again, "Hard to believe this is how my life is going to end; lying here, slowly dying. I don't even know how I am going to be able to sleep tonight, because I might die in my sleep, who knows?"

Mungojerrie chuckled, "Good ol' gloomy Mac! Neva' a real optimist, aren't ya? That's always how it is, everyone else sees da doughnut, an' ya just see da hole!"

"Shut up," Macavity replied with a tone of irritation, "So how's your sister doing? Especially after…"

Mungo quickly nodded, "Yeah, she's alright, but she was considerin' an abortion! Ya can't imagine how much it took to get that thought outta her mind!"

"Doesn't she know that abortion among cats is taboo?"

"She just doesn't want a kitten, that's all."

The ginger tom shrugged, "Well, at least she has a tom that cares for her. Can't say the same for Bombi. She's going to have to raise those kits all by herself…" He shook his head and let a tear slip down his face. Mungo shook his head.

"I don't think dat's gonna be a problem for ya. As for Teaza', I'm just lookin' out for my sista', nothin' to it."

Mac was silent again for a moment before he spoke again, "Mungo? I'm sorry that I forced you to work for me when I practically ran a crime business. I had no reason for making you do all that, and treating you the way I did. I'm surprised you didn't try to run off."

"Ah, boss, there was nothin' else I could do! Stealin' things has always been my specialty. I'll be perfectly blunt here when I say that I wanted to stick with ya. You were da only one dat even cared about me! Everyone else hated Teaza' and myself for all the pranks we did as kittens. Though I have to admit, workin' for ya didn't help my situation!"

"I suppose it didn't," Macavity responded with a light chuckle. His face soon contorted, though, and he coughed harshly, like a whooping cough. When he settled down, a bit of blood dripped out the side of his mouth, and there were drops on his paw where he coughed. Mungojerrie froze, and the ginger tom's heart sank. His clock was finally ticking; he had now only at the most the rest of the night to live.

At the same time, it was getting to the middle of the night, and the Jellicle Moon started shining through the clouds…

_Whew! Another chapter in the trenches! Glad to know there are some still wanting more and I am more than glad to keep on satisfying story-hungry people. I know prob. some Munkustrap fans were mad that I made him full of ego, but I figured that he had a stubborn pride, so… look, it's just a story, alright! Anyways, I was glad I had Spring Break to get more writing time, and that's how I was able to get 2 chapters done in less than 5 days, faster than any other time I have written. I will be free to write all weekend, so write I will, and get this done! Even I can't wait for the finish! Keep on R and R, and enjoy!_


	9. Redemption and Reunion

**Chapter 9**

The sky was clear, and the Jellicle moon was shining bright. Despite its power, no one had an urge to dance. After all, it had been only two days since Draconic had been defeated, and many were still going over the shock of it all. Everyone sat around the junkyard, acting like they were at a funeral. Draconic's body was long gone, burned away into ashes by Mistoffelees and tossed into the four winds. Victoria had finally managed to settle down and was back together with her family, but she was still edgy. Alonzo was improving, and Jennyanydots now believed that he would make a full recovery. He still took some medication to stave away headaches, but was otherwise the old "cock of the walk" he had always been. Everyone else seemed to be recovering well from the horrors that they had experienced, and things were returning back to normal. Well, almost everything.

Because his hours were numbered, Macavity was brought out so that he could see it for the last time. Bombi sat by his side, holding Jendangen. Sophline was finally able to control herself, thanks to comforting from her cousin that was now her best friend, Catalina. The only dancing was by Victoria and Mistoffelees, who were dancing to a slow waltz, thanks to Mungojerrie bringing a CD player from his Victoria Grove house. The couple danced beautifully, and the comforting bliss of being with her mate erased all of Victoria's tension. Afterwards, the beautiful, snow white queen did some solo dances that she had been practicing for the past year. Mistoffelees then performed a little magic show, as he made Victoria disappear and reappear, turned a ratty old collar into a beautiful silver one, studded with sparkling diamonds. He gave it to Sopline, who finally managed to crack a smile. He also did many more tricks and slight of hand, but the best part was when he noticed a human walking by holding a cell phone. The person put it in his pocket, but it was snatched out by a thief. The black tuxedoed tom concentrated and the thief suddenly stopped.

"What the-? W-where's the bloody phone?"

The human that was robbed felt his pocket get heavier, looked in and in a state of shock, revealed his phone. He quickly ran off while the thief stood dead shocked on the sidewalk, before turning away, shaking his head in disbelief. Everyone in the junkyard couldn't help but laugh, as it was Misto that did the trick.

Through all of this, Munkustrap was beside himself, debating over his decision. He wasn't sure if this was the right choice. Was everyone going to hate him for it? Was he going to have to resign his post as the Jellicle leader?

"Stop being paranoid!" he muttered to himself, "Just go and make the decision."

It was now close to dawn, but before it did, many cat couples came together and all announced that they would become mates. This included Pouncival and Electra, and Tumblebrutus and Etcetera. Jemina was among the group, though she was by herself. Though many didn't know it, she had been seeing a tom that had been in the tribe for a year, Lupus. Everyone stared at her, wondering what she was doing there.

"Jemmi, you can't be up here if you don't have a mate," Etcetera said.

The young queen nodded, "I know that, he should be here any moment now."

Electra spoke up, "Who is it? Quaxo? Persimmon?" Her eyes widened, "Lupus? Is it Lupus!" Jemina blushed and nodded. At that moment, a grey tom with black paws and tail came out. Jemmi embraced him and the couple had a long kiss as everyone cheered. Alonzo suddenly spoke up.

"Now hold on a moment! We are not done yet. There's been something I have been meaning to do for the last few weeks, and now that I am feeling better, I guess it's about time I do it," He turned to Cassandra and knelt on one knee, holding her paws. The Siamese queen's eyes nearly popped out of her head as he asked her that immortal question, "Cassandra, will you be my mate for life, until at death we part?" Cassie couldn't help but let out a light laugh as a tear came out. She knelt to Alonzo's level and hugged him.

"Yes, yes of course I will!" Everyone applauded even more as the black and white tom lifted his new mate up, and spinned around as they had a long kiss, solidifying their new matrimony. Munkustrap then stood on the tyre, proud.

"Alright, everyone! It is almost dawn, and as you all know, the Jellicle choice must be made. Who will be reborn and come back to a different life?" Everyone at this point stood around the silver tabby's perch as he let his paw drift over the crowd, his finger ready to point at the cat he had chosen. His paw finally stopped and his finger pointed, at the ginger tom that was sitting off to the side, his family with him. Macavity's eyes widened, as did his family, minus the little kitten. Munku nodded at the unasked question that Mac gave, "Yes, Macavity. It is you that has been chosen."

Mac at first couldn't really believe what had just happened to him. He was going to be reborn. Bombi quietly closed her eyes and sighed with relief, knowing that her mate was finally getting the redemption he had longed for. Munku held out his paw, beckoning the former criminal, now hero, to come. Mac struggled to stand, and it was only Bombalurina's and Mungojerrie's help that got him up and moving. The other cats were just as amazed by the choice, but all were satisfied that the chosen one was one that deserved it. They crowded around the trio moving to the tyre, and all of them either nuzzeled, or touched, or bowed to Macavity. Tears welled up in his eyes, as he was finally getting the respect he wanted. He had dreamed of this moment for so long, was it real? It had to be, because he could feel himself slowly dying, and he could feel the touches of so many paws. It seemed to take ages, but he finally got to the tyre, where the Jellicle leader was waiting. Munku gently took the ginger cat's arm and helped him onto the tyre. Before he departed though, he had to say his goodbyes.

With tears pouring out of both of them, Macavity and Bombalurina had one last embrace. They gazed deeply back into each other's eyes, as if they were trying to see into each other's soul. For the last 3 years, they had lived happily as mates, living in a blissful matrimony, with 2 happy kittens. It seemed like they could be happy forever, that nothing horrible could ever happen. Now that wonderful time was ending, for he was going to leave for good.

"I wish I could stay here with you, dear. You don't know how much I'm scared for you. How will you be able to raise the kittens on your own?"

The red queen managed a weak smile, "I have family here, Mackey. I won't be on my own. I… I just don't know how I can say goodbye to you. I don't want to live without you."

"I don't want you to either. I just wish I could've lived to old age. Able to see my offspring grow up and find a mate of their own…" He paused and glanced to beside his mate. Sophline was there, Demeter standing next to her. He slowly knelt to his daughter, and they had one last hug, "You be good, alright? Be there for your mother, she's going to need you more than ever, just like you'll need her. Always remember me, and don't try to think of this moment, but all those happy moments we had before. Think about those, okay?"

The little red queen nodded and squeezed her father a bit harder, ignoring the downpour of tears coming down her face, "I…love you, daddy."

"I love you too, Sophline," Mac gave her a kiss on the head, and then once more, for old time's sake, nuzzled his nose against hers. She let out a light giggle and a smile. A tiny mewing caused Mackey to stand up again, as he took from Demeter's paws Jendangen. For a long moment, he gazed at his infant son, and then gave him a light hug, "And you look after your family, Jendangen. Oh, how I wish I could be here as you grow up. May the Everlasting Cat bless you for the rest of your life," He pinched his eyes closed as some tears slid down his once again white and ginger face, "Good bye, my dear son," He gave the little orange tom a kiss and handed him back to his aunt. He once again gazed at his mate, his love for so long, "I love you with all my heart."

Bombalurina nodded, "And I love you with all my heart," The couple had one last embrace, and one last kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, they separated, and Bombi stood back. Mac turned to the silver tabby and slowly walked towards him. The two had one last conversation of their own.

"Munkustrap? Could you please do me two favors? Look after my family, and also tell Skimble that I am ever so thankful for everything he ever did for me?"

Munku nodded, "I'll be sure of it. Both promises."

"I…just wish I could speak to him once again. Though it would be too cliché if he just suddenly came bursting in, wouldn't it?"

The silver tabby nodded with a grin, "You know, I never thought it was possible, that an evil could become good again."

"Well, like the tribe motto says," Macavity spoke with a smug grin, "'Jellicles Can, and Jellicles Do.'"

Munku nodded and patted the ginger tom's shoulder, "May the Everlasting Cat have mercy on you. Gook luck…brother," he spoke in reference that they were step-brothers. Mac nodded and turned to the tyre, standing on it. The first light of dawn broke through the darkness of night, and a white glow enveloped the tyre, with the chosen cat on it. Macavity could feel it rising, carrying him with it, up to the Heaviside Layer. As this happened, Bombi's voice broke through the silence.

_Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel, up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer._

Demeter, then Victoria and Mistoffelees, and then Munkustrap joined in.

_Up, up, up, past the Russel Hotel, up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer._

The verse was repeated once again, then again, with more and more of the tribe joining in, as he rose higher and higher.

_Up, up, up, past the Jellicle Moon, up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer._

The singing grew in intensity, everyone now singing, including Sophline. That verse repeated again, and as he glanced up, Mac saw the stairs leading to the Heaviside Layer coming down to level with the tyre he was on. As he took the first step onto it, he felt all of his pain and sufferings disappear. He felt stronger, and he took the second step. Before he continued, he glanced back down to the tribe standing below. His family gazing up at him with happiness and sadness mixed together. He gave them one last wave, and proceeded up the stairs. As he did, he could faintly hear the tribe finish singing.

_The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity. 'Round the cathedral rang, "Vivat! Life to the everlasting cat!"_

Everything from the tribe faded away and as he got farther up the stairs, the more he could feel himself losing his mortal coil. Everything seemed like a dream now. He looked back once more, and the tire was gone. He could no longer see darkness, just light. With no other choice, he proceeded on. As he did, he could hear a voice singing. It was singing a verse that he knew by heart, and had always wondered what it meant. He hadn't heard it sung since that one Ball years ago, when Jemina sang it. Only this sounded even more familiar.

_Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight. Let your memory lead you. Open up, enter in. If you find there, the meaning of what happiness is, then a new life will begin._

As the voice grew stronger, he realized that the voice was his mother's! He turned to where the voice was coming from and saw the moon shining brightly through the light surrounding him. _Turn your face to the moonlight._ As he gazed into the moonlight, all of his old kitten hood memories flashed through his mind's eyes, remembering every detail. It beckoned him to walk to the moonlight. _Let your memory lead you._

He continued on, and as he got to what seemed to be the limit of the light engulfing him, he felt his soul opening up and freeing him from all emotional restraints, and he passed through. _Open up, enter in._ As he passed through, the light got dimmer, so it was still quite bright, but it was easy to look at. As he glanced around, he saw three cats standing nearby, all of them adults. Something urged him to go over to them, and he obeyed the silent order. As he got closer, he suddenly realized who it was. It was his family! His father Waldron, his mother Shlaron, and his little brother Jendager, they were all standing there, before him. He was too shocked to speak, and they just stood there, smiling. What stunned him the most was that his brother was full grown, despite the fact that he had died when he was just an infant! He was just as tall as Macavity, only he had a slightly more sturdy build. He was a wonderful mix of golden brown and orange, and his tail had a black tip. His father's voice spoke.

"Hello, son. You look very well for yourself."

Mac was at first too stunned to speak. He reached his paw out to his father and he touched his cheek. It was real! Or so it seemed. With a quiet, almost naive tone, he simply said, "Father…it's you!" With that, he embraced him and quietly sobbed, not believing that he was seeing him again. Waldron returned the hug, and they separated. He looked exactly like Mac had always remembered, as did Shlaron.

"Mac, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You had found your purpose and you fulfilled it. You did everything you were supposed to do. You turned into a fine tom, a loving mate and father, and I couldn't have asked for anything more."

"But Father…I didn't live long enough! What about my family? I…I didn't want to leave them!"

Shlaron spoke up, "It was your time, dear. I know it's hard for you, but you have done everything you could've done in the world. You know, I felt the same way when we died. I wasn't scared of dying, but scared for you. How were you going to move on? When you turned to a life of evil, I was honestly afraid that you would never be able to be here."

Waldron continued, "But you did what you were destined to do, in the long run. You changed yourself for the better, and did the greatest things that any cat could do. And now, it's time for you to become reborn. You will go to the Everlasting Cat, and he will take the soul that is you and return it here, where we will finally be together for good. You won't remember anything, as your body will, in a way, be reborn. All you'll remember is darkness, and then a new life will begin."

"Just like that song went," Macavity's mother said, "It was about going to the Heaviside Layer and being reborn, that's what the words meant. No one is ever supposed to know until they come up here. Now, dear, you must go," Before he did, the ginger cat hugged his mother, and his little brother. As he backed away, a brighter beam of light appeared, and Waldron gestured to it. Mac nodded and walked into the light. As he did, he could feel the Everlasting Cat's presence. It was a beautiful image, in his mind, but it was indescribable. He felt a paw swish through him, and everything went dark again. Meanwhile, his soul returned to where the rest of his family was, and they did nothing but group hug for a long while, as they were finally reunited, for eternity.

Meanwhile, in another tribe, a dark brown queen screamed in pain, her mate holding her paw. She pushed harder, and a meek mewing was heard. The cat acting as a midwife smiled.

"Congratulations! It's a tom!" She showed them a bright orange cat with white on his paws and face, and down his chest. His headfur showed signs of an upcoming mane, but there was one unique feature that the new father noticed.

"Look, love, at his eyes. They're…sunken in."

_Whew! This was probably the hardest chapter for me to do, and also the second to last one. The last chapter is next, and it will focus more on Bombalurina and the kittens moving on, plus new forgiveness for old times from a particular "Curious cat." I am a little disappointed that Macavity reuniting with his family was a weak scene, but I wanted to get this chapter done ASAP! After this, I am unsure of what I'll do next writing wise. I have written parts of the first chapter for 3 different stories already, and don't know where to start! Oh, the agony of writing! Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and keep your eyes peeled for the final chapter, coming sometime within two weeks or so. I am in a weekend-long trivia contest, and Easter is the weekend after, and I am unsure of when I will write again. Keep on readin' and writin'!_


	10. Unlocked Feelings and Peace

**Chapter 10**

"When are you going to talk to her? You know you have to!" Mistoffelees said with hint of irritation in his voice. His kittens were asleep in another part of his and Victoria's den. Tugger was leaning against a wall, arms folded, staring at the ground.

"I…I can't! She doesn't want to talk to me and that's for sure! So, why bother?"

"How would you know? Wasn't she the same queen that actually got your attention, years ago? She would still talk to you, Tugger, for Heaviside sakes! She actually liked you!" Misto's words caused the Maine Coon to glance up at him. He now started to feel a tinge of guilt, and it reminded him of when Bombalurina left the tribe for Macavity (_Read last chapter of Forbidden Romance for more on what happened with Tugger_). "And Tugger, let me ask you one more thing. Do you like her?"

Tugger's face went blank. He once again looked down, and sighed. After a long moment, he finally nodded, with a sad silence. The tuxedoed tom nodded and grinned with understanding. Knowing that his friend's stubbornness had weakened, he quietly told him, "Go talk to her," Tugger nodded again, and quietly went outside. It had been 2 days since Macavity had gone up to the Heaviside Layer, and everything was back to normal. Munkustrap was back at his post as the Jellicle Leader, and Demeter had lost her paranoia. He was proud of Alonzo for finally settling down with a mate, though he selfishly didn't think about himself having one. As he walked past the black and white tom's den, he could hear some light growls and lustful meows coming from the old refrigerator, which caused the Maine Coon to grin. Good ol' Lonzo was getting biz-zay with Cassie, he thought to himself as he went to Munku's den, where he knew Bombalurina was. He spent a long moment swallowing his nerve before he finally knocked on the side of the snug wooden crate.

"Yes?" The red queen's voice responded from the inside.

"Yeah…um…it's Tugger," he responded, tongue-tied, "Could I…uh…could I come in?"

"Sure, come on in," she responded with a sad tone in her voice. Slowly, he entered. He saw Bombi sitting beside Jendangen's "crib", where the little kitten was sleeping. The red queen's eyes were red-rimmed, like she had been crying for a bit and no wonder. For the last two days, it seemed to Bombalurina that she had done almost nothing but cry. She always kept trying to reassure herself that she would be able to move on, but it hurt so much. Every time she would try to sleep she would have nightmares of Mackey dying in so many ways.

First it was him getting swept away by a wave before she could even react. Then it was him struggling to swim in a lake, her jumping in and swimming to him, trying to save him, but just as they were at an arm's reach away, he would sink down to the bottom, into eternity. There were many others, too many, but all of them always brought new tears to her eyes, and had her rudely awakened, fur soaked with sweat, her breathing shallow. Demeter and Munkustrap were doing all they could to comfort her and help her, but it wasn't working. The nightmares were still there, every time she closed her eyes.

"Are you all right?" Tugger's voice broke through her thoughts like the way soothing vapors would break up a cold. The red queen shook her head.

"No, I am not all right. I want to be alone right now," She responded and she turned away from the tom standing in the doorway. Tugger refused to believe it.

"I don't think so," He tried to face her, but every time, she turned away, "Please Bombi, talk to me. I want to talk to you."

"What about?"

"About Macavity, about us…"

Bombalurina remained stubborn, "NO! I don't want to talk about it!"

"You can't hold this in, please…"

"NO!"

"Bombi!" Tugger put a paw on her shoulder. The warm, stern feel caused a new wave of tears to form, and this time, she couldn't hold them in. On instinct, she turned to him and buried her face into his chest, sobbing loudly without stop.

"Oh, why did he have to leave? Leave me and the kittens behind, why? Oh Mackey, why?" she shouted in anguish and grief. Tugger felt a sense of awkwardness, but he swallowed his composure enough to give her a comforting hug. She continued her grieving, her tears soaking his fur. After a long while, she seemed to settle down, but now she kept mumbling, "Let me die, let me die. Oh, Everlasting Cat, let me die now! I can't live without him!"

"Now how can you be sure of that? You have been able to live without him before!"

"But I loved him! And I won't love another tom! He was my true love!"

The Maine Coon nodded, "I can't deny that, but…there is another tom that still has a place in his heart for you…me," Right after he said that, he start mentally cursing himself. Why did he just say that? What the hell was he thinking! Bombalurina glanced at him, amazed.

"You…you actually…liked me? Maybe even _loved_ me?"

Tugger let out a long, slow sigh and nodded, figuring he might be as frank with her as he can, "Yes, I did. I didn't realize it until after you left the tribe for him. I was…too proud to realize it."

"What happened then?"

He gave a grim smirk, as if his ego had been battered, "I got some sense knocked into me, and I got the scars to prove it," he said, referring to some light scars on his neck that came from when he and Alonzo got into a fight about who was responsible for Bombi leaving the tribe, "I'll be honest when I say that there were many time I was scared about you. So many times I felt that he had abandoned you to fend for yourself. Honestly, Bombi, I really cared about you! And now looking back, I know that you cared about me too. I know, I was too stubborn to acknowledge it, and you, desperate for love, went to him, and the rest is history. But hear me when I say this, if I had a chance to rewind time, and do the last few years all over again, I would've started something with you," After he finished, he felt a great sense of release, like everything he had held in was finally gone. It was a great feeling and it was made better by what the red queen said next.

"Are you being truly honest about it? Do you really have feelings for me?" Her question was verbally unanswered, but she could tell by gazing into his eyes that he was indeed honest, "Years ago, I would've given away everything I had for you to say that," She went silent for a moment before nodding to a mental inquiry in her mind, "Tugger, I'll be honest myself when I ask this, do you think you could become almost like a surrogate father for my kittens? They need a daddy, that much I do know, and…well, maybe someday, I'll want to have the love of a tom, but not right now."

Tugger nodded, "Of course I will. I understand the situation you are in, and I promise I will change for the better, for you and your kittens. Be gentle in the sense that it may be hard for me to change, but I will try."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Bombi gently embraced him once again, and Tugger returned the hug. There was now nothing more between them than good friends, but maybe, just maybe, something more could happen. Something they had always somewhat envisioned, but never fully believed it would happen. All of a sudden, Bombalurina spoke again, "Tugger, thank you," With that, she suddenly gave him a light kiss on the check, which caused him to blush, but he covered it with a tender smile, and kept holding her.

Through a knothole, Munkustrap, Demeter, and Mistoffelees all watched them with smiles on their faces. Life was now going to return to normal much more now. Peace had returned, and life as everyone in the Jellicle Tribe remembered was back. They had just survived the absolute worse of tyranny, and they know knew that this tribe was going to stay for a long, long time.

**Epilogue**

Many months passed before Bombalurina was able to live in her own den, but nobody ever complained about it. Rum Tum Tugger indeed became the new father for Sophline and Jendangen, and soon after she moved out of Demeter and Munkustrap's den, Bombalurina and Tugger declared their matrimony. While they themselves never had any kittens of their own, Tugger treated both of his adoptive kittens as his own, and both of them accepted him as their new father. He managed to erase his free-swinging bachelor ways, but he never lost his immaturity, and while it did result in scolding from Bombi and Munkustrap, it was a sure sign that some things never change.

Jemina successively gave birth to her kitten, a grey and brown tom named Tyrus, but Rumpleteazer suffered a miscarriage, and died soon after due to complications. Some claimed that she did it herself, as an abortion attempt, but Mungojerrie confirmed that it happened when she accidentally fell out of bed one night. Jellylorum was sent up to the Heaviside Layer the following year, and Asparagus the year after.

Sophline came of age and she would have many tom friends, but she never settled down with a mate. Jendangen grew up, and had a mate named Syria, Victoria's last kitten, and when Munkustrap grew too old, took over as first the Jellicle protector, than leader. The tribe was never again in serious danger, and life became peaceful and happy again.

_WHEW! I finally finished! I rewrote this chapter 8 times before I finally got what I wanted. I was going to have Tugger give a long rambling about how he felt after Deuteronomy went up to his reward, but that seemed like wandering away from the story. I may write a sequel to this, starring Jendangen, Macavity's son, as he finally gets told about his father's other life, and goes through the responsibilities of becoming leader. I'm still not sure though. For now, I will be in a slow creative process, working on many stories in the upcoming weeks and months. Plus, I also got a new job, starting in May, and I might not be able to have as much free writing time as I usually do. _

_I may soon continue my unfinished _Macavity Chronicles_, otherwise I might write my next CATS fanfic, _A Rose Blooms for Two, _or maybe even do a humor story, _Americanized Jellicles._ For now, enjoy the last chapter of_ Last Redemption,_ and remember, if you enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it, than I enjoyed it twice as much as you! LOL_

_Keep readin' and writin'!_


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